Save Maumee Goes to D.C. ~ Clean Water Week 2011

Save Maumee Grassroots Organization is representing north-east Indiana in Washington D.C. again this year for Clean Water Week! Bruce Allen made it there on Monday to speak for our waterways in 2011. This is the 4th year that Bruce has represented Save Maumee and our local area, with sponsorship from Healing Our Waters.

We have written a letter to our 9 U.S. Congressman and our 2 U.S. Senators, that will be delivered personally in D.C. during arranged meetings. Packages will also be sent to the home districts of 30 State Senators and State Representatives.

Clean Water Week is a time to reflect on the importance of our waterways and our impact on the health of these vital ecosystems. It is also a time to comment on the issues and appreciate your indispensable role in achieving resolutions. I am writing to ask you to help the citizens of Indiana protect our near and far economic interests, but never at the expense of the environment.

I speak to many citizens, government agents, non-for profit groups, etc., and I have compiled a list of concerns that need to be addressed immediately:
Issues Related to Impaired Waterways:
 CO2 Emissions and Energy Efficiency
 Hydraulic-Fracking/CO2 Injection
 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
 Phosphorus removal from commercial fertilizer
 MORE Oversight and Enforcement of current law; IDEM has stated they are unable to keep industry in check due to cuts in their budget. Dont let the EPA be next.
I urge you not to cave-in to lobbyists money and pressures from industry to deregulate or relax standards. Many of the regulations that have been put in place are currently being ignored, resulting in severe impairment to 2,882 waterways of Indiana. This has a direct affect, economically and environmentally, on Hoosiers living in the state and those in neighboring regions. Therefore, it is imperative that Indiana keeps the health and vitality of our waterways a priority when determining the needs of the State and its residents. We cannot allow lobbyists of industry to determine the quality of our lives.
 It is critical that mandatory reductions in carbon dioxide are put in place, and regulated, in an effort to reduce the negative impact on our waterways.
 Include a 100% auction of pollution allowance so that polluters will think twice before violating State and Federally set standards.
 Mandate that utility companies significantly increase energy efficiency measures and increase the use of renewable energy by 2020 to reduce the impact of our heavy reliance on fossil fuels.
 Mandate the regulation and oversight of the disposal of manure from CAFOs currently residing in Indiana and being shipped to Indiana from Ohio, which has a direct affect on waterways (as Ohio has come to find out with the current condition of Grand Lake St. Marys).
Please take the time to read the enclosed information, keeping in mind that natural ecosystems in Indiana contributed to over 18,000 jobs, $127 million in State and Local Tax Revenue, and $117 million in Federal tax revenue in 2006 according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.